


It's Always Been You

by AlexandraO



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 18:31:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15225333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexandraO/pseuds/AlexandraO
Summary: Percy knows his love for Hermione is unrequited and is ready to accept the fact that she will never be his. How very wrong he is.





	It's Always Been You

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All canon character, plots, and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I am not profiting from this writing.
> 
> Thanks to my amazing beta and friend, I_was_BOTWP for beta-ing this piece for me!

Percy walked outside of The Burrow, his shoes in his hand, enjoying the feel of the cool grass against his bare feet. He always enjoyed coming out here when his brain was too clouded with the busyness of everyday life.  It had only been a few months since he had admitted his stupidity to his family and friends, and joined to fight with them in the Battle of Hogwarts.   
  


Now here he was, four months later, pining over a girl he knew he could never have. She was currently with his youngest brother, Ron, and besides, she wouldn’t want him anyways. That’s why he was outside while everyone else was enjoying each other’s company. It hurt his heart every time he looked at her...looked at them together. 

 

She was one of the first to forgive him. Or, one of the first to show it at least. She embraced him like a brother and told him there was no need for apologies. And therein laid the problem. She would never see him as more than a brother when he wanted so much more. 

 

Approaching the pond in the backyard, Percy sat down and rolled up the bottoms of his trousers. He stuck the tips of his toes in the water and let his thoughts drift once more back to Hermione. 

 

Being in love with her made everything else in his life much more difficult. Everywhere he looked, he saw something that brought her to the forefront of his mind. She wouldn’t even be near him while at work, but he would spot small, neat handwriting or smell vanilla perfume and immediately be reminded of her. Everywhere he turned, it was as if Hermione’s name was flashing neon, taunting him. 

 

He groaned and he let his head fall onto his bent knees, his horn-rimmed glasses digging into his nose. It was painful, but he didn’t care. How did he let it go this far? He should have stamped down his feelings about her long ago, knowing how Ron felt about her, but couldn’t find it in himself to do so. He had even broken Penny’s heart, telling partial lies and skirting around the truth, refusing to tell her why. He had dug himself an early grave and now it was time to lie in it. 

 

Percy was dragged out of his thoughts when he heard a squeak behind him. He lifted his head and turned to see the very person he had been thinking about standing there. Her face glowed in the moonlight and he was reminded not only of the reasons why he was in love with her but the predicament he was in. 

 

“Percy!” she said, surprised, walking toward him. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to be out here.” 

 

“Where else would I be?” he asked, a little more aggressive than usual. He looked at her and grimaced. “Sorry.” 

 

“No problem. Mind if I sit?” she asked, gesturing to the ground next to him. 

 

“Not at all. Please.” He patted the ground next to him and she sat, crossing her legs. 

 

“What are you doing out here?” he asked, casually. 

 

“I could ask you the same thing.” He looked at her and she was grinning. He grinned back, but inside he was hoping she wouldn’t ask. He doubted he could hide the truth, especially from her. 

 

She looked away and the smile dropped from her face. Finally, she answered his question. “Just tired of everyone assuming Ron and I are together.” 

 

Percy’s head snapped toward her at her response. “What?” 

 

She smiled. “I knew that’s why you were out here; you were hiding.” 

 

Percy felt his face turn red and he was glad that it was dark. “Not hiding. Just...I don’t know.” He shook his head in defeat. What was he supposed to say? 

 

“You know, I always admired you. I remember as a first year, seeing you as a prefect and knowing that I wanted to be one too. Even when you left your family behind, I still admired you a bit because you were off doing your own thing, not afraid to step out from underneath your brothers’ shadows.” 

 

Percy looked at her, attempting to hide the shock on his face from her admission. Not once had anyone ever said anything like that to him. It was a first. 

 

He didn’t respond and she continued. “We are very similar, you know? I thrive on rules and routine. I love the power of knowledge. Learning new things was something I could never get enough of and that’s why I tried to do so well in school. But you know, I criticize myself every single day—”

 

Percy interrupted. “But why? You are good enough. You are probably one of the most amazing people I know,” he admitted. 

 

She brought her lips into a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes, recognizing the compliment but not addressing it. “Why indeed. Tell me why you do the same thing. Tell me why you think you’re not good enough for me.” 

 

“What? How—” Hermione interrupted him with a light kiss to his lips, pulling back almost immediately.

 

“Me?” Percy asked, incredulously once the shock from the kiss wore off. 

 

Hermione nodded. “You. It’s always been you,” she whispered, once more pressing her lips against his. 


End file.
